Mikel takes ok start in Romandy

Euskaltel and their leader Mikel Astarloza are off to a good start in the Tour of Romandy. In the 3.1 kilometres prologue, he finished 16th, 6 seconds down on winner Frantisek Rabon. For the general rank he left some important riders behind like Cadel Evans, Vladimir Karpets and Denis Menchov.

Results
1. Frantisek Rabon Columbia 3:45
2. Sandy Casar Française des Jeux +0:02
3. Alejandro Valverde Caisse d'Epargne +0:03
...
16. Mikel Astarloza +0:06
35. Juan José Oroz +0:08
45. Igor Anton +0:09
97. Pablo Urtasun +0:14
100. Koldo Fernandez +0:14
106. Iñaki Isasi +0:14
146. Aitor Galdos +0:22
154. Iñigo Landaluze +0:24

Euskaltel for Romandy and Asturias

These are the teams for the upcoming Tour of Romandy and the Vuelta a Asturias.

Romandy: Igor Anton, Mikel Astarloza, Koldo Fernandez, Aitor Galdos, Iñaki Isasi, Iñigo Landaluze, Juanjo Oroz and Pablo Urtasun. Great team, good mix of sprinters and riders for the general rank!

Asturias: Samuel Sanchez, Sergio De Lis, Markel Irizar, Aitor Hernandez, Amets Txurruka, Andoni Lafuente, Jorge Azanza and Ivan Velasco. Anxious to see what Samuel can do in his home base!

Amets Txurruka close in Rioja

Our Amets Txurruka came close to a victory today. He ended up in a group of six that rode to the finish line together, but at the sprint, he didn't have enough power anymore to take it home and he became 6th. Earlier that day Markel Irizar also did a good job being in the break of the day. Sad news came from Ivan Velasco. He fell and broke three ribs and suffers of a trauma somewhere in his back or something. He has been taken to the hospital immediately. Hopefully everything will be alright!

Results
1. David Garcia Xacobeo 5:55:47
2. Angel Vicioso Andalucia ST
3. Manuel Vazquez Contentpolis ST
...
6. Amets Txurruka +0:03
13. Aitor Galdos +3:03
15. Aitor Hernandez +3:03
36. Pablo Urtasun +9:08
41. Markel Irizar +14:58

Samuel 4th in Fleche Wallonne

Euskaltel rode a good race in the Fleche Wallonne. During the race good old Gorka Verdugo did a great amount of work in front of the peloton keeping the distance with the two breakaways decent. Then when the favourites started attacking he also countered some of them, one time even ending up in a promising break together with Egoi Martinez who also rode a good race. At the end it came all down on Samuel and he didn't disappoint. He went to the top with the favourites, but he wasn't able to follow the attack of Evans first and then the final kick of Rebellin. He ended on a good 4th spot, promising for the upcoming Liege-Bastogne-Liege.

Results
1. Davide Rebellin Diquigiovanni 4:42:15
2. Andy Schleck +0:02
3. Damiano Cunego +0:02
...
4. Samuel Sanchez +0:07
63. Iñigo Landaluze+1:24
64. Egoi Martinez +1:24
103. Ruben Perez +1:24
105. Iñaki Isasi +1:24
106. Alan Perez +1:24
141. Juan José Oroz +1:24

Euskaltel misses out in Amstel

Euskaltel missed out on the prizes in the dutch classic The Amstel Gold Race. In the beginning they made the pace in the peloton, keeping the break of the day in a decent reach, but afterwards it all went downhill. Samuel Sánchez was the strongest of the team and was the only one who was able to follow the group of the favourites. Unfortunately they came to late and he sprinted to a 14th spot.

Results
1. Serguei Ivanov Katusha 6:38:31
2. Karsten Kroon Saxo Bank ST
3. Robert Gesink Rabobank +0:08
...
14. Samuel Sánchez +0:08
59. Iñigo Landaluze +4:30
79. Alan Pérez +6:02
83. Iñaki Isasi +6:02

Euskaltel ready for the next classics

Euskaltel will send a strong team to the upcoming exciting races Amstel Gold Race, Fleche Wallonne and Liege-Bastogne-Liege. Leader of the team will be Samuel Sánchez in great shape from the Vuelta Pais Vasco, followed by Egoi Martínez, Rubén Pérez, Iñigo Landaluze, Juanjo Oroz, Alan Pérez, Iñaki Isasi, Aitor Galdos and Gorka Verdugo. Also Haimar Zubeldia will be participating for Astana.

Euskaltel just missed out in Klasika Primavera

The Euskaltel guys that competed in the Klasika Primavera gave their all to get the victory in the Klasika Primavera and at various moments in the race, it looked like one of them would take it. There was Antón, Landaluze, Verdugo,Astarloza and Txurruka who all did their best to win, but at the end Egoi Martínez came closest in a small group sprint just losing out to Alejandro Valverde. After the race he said: "I am content about the whole week, I won the sprint classification in the Vuelta al País Vasco, and today I also finished on the podium. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to win, even though I was close. Now, I will ride the Belgian Classics and later the Tour de France and I hope to do even better there." So up to the Amstel Gold Race!

Results
1. Alejandro Valverde Caisse d'Epargne 4:04:58
2. Egoi Martinez Euskaltel ST
3. José Herrada Contentpolis ST
...
4. Mikel Astarloza ST
8. Gorka Verdugo ST
13. Aitor Hernandez +0:32
18. Iván Velasco +0:38
19. Mikel Nieve +0:39
28. Jorge Azanza +0:47
31. Iñigo Landaluze +0:47
38. Amets Txurruka +1:21
78. Igor Antón +6:22

Samuel ends up 3rd in Pais Vasco

After a penultimate stage where nothing happened, it all came down to the final time trial in the Vuelta al País Vasco. Over a parcours of 24 kilometres Alberto Contador humiliated all the other competitors and stated once again that he's the big favourite for the upcoming Tour de France. Unfortunately also Toni Colom rode the time trial of his life and he beat Samuel Sánchez with 23 seconds for the third spot. Of course third in a time trial is a great result for Samy, especially when you know that he left big guns like Evans, Pinotti and Rogers behind. A good sign for the Vuelta later this year! In the general rank of course he ended op on the podium and he won the points classification. Egoi Martínez won the sprints classification, Aitor Hernández just missed out the mountains classification and Euskaltel closely lost the teams classification with one second to Caisse d'Epargne. A great team result!

General Rank
1. Alberto Contador Astana 20:48:30
2. Antonio Colom Katusha +0:30
3. Samuel Sánchez Euskaltel +0:53
...
14. Egoi Martínez +4:01
20. Gorka Verdugo +5:18
67. Aitor Hernández +33:39
76. Iñaki Isasi +36:02

Samuel Sánchez excellent in Pais Vasco

The Tour of the Basque Country was the first big goal for Samuel Sánchez in 2009 and immediately from the start he put a stamp on the race. In the first stage he fought for the victory in a small group with all the favourites, losing very close to Luis León Sánchez. In the same stage Aitor Hernandez attacked, ensuring himself the mountains classification and is still leading there. In the third and probably queens stage Samuel Sánchez impressed in the mountains climbing together with Cadel Evans and Toni Colom, nine seconds behind Alberto Contador. He became third in that stage. In the fourth stage nothing important happened, Samuel became tenth in the bunch sprint and is clearly showing great shape. Today we got another hilly stage but saturday everything will be decided in the final time trial.

Schedules of Samuel and Igor

Today Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano released the schedules of the two big guns Samuel Sánchez and Igor Antón. The olympic champion will ride the northern classics Amstel Gold Race, the Fleche Wallonne and Liege-Bastogne-Liege. Afterwards he will ride his home tour the Vuelta a Aturias and the Volta a Catalunya and the Bayern Rundfahrt. Igor Antón's preparation for the Tour de France will be along the Tour of Romandie, the Volta a Catalunya, the Tour of Luxembourg and the Spanish Chamionships.

I'm off to Rome!

For the next week I will be in Rome with school, so this means that I won't be able to update this blog, to my greatest regret cause I'm really enjoying it again nowadays. Of course this means that I won't be able to watch the Tour of Flandres and the first part of the Tour of the Basque Country. Hopefully I can find a bar where they play Rai sport or something so I atleast can watch the last kilometres of Flandres greatest. See you till then!

Pics from Sammy's victory

Thanx to Biciciclismo

Oroz shows form in Criterium International

In the Criterium International Juan José Oroz is clearly getting in great shape for the big classics. In the second stage Alan Pérez was present in the break of the day, but at the end Juan Jose Oroz was the first to cross the finish in a group just twelve seconds behind winner Jens Voigt, together with Ivan Velasco. In the closing short time trial Mikel Astarloza showed that he still has some good skills by placing himself 15th, while Juan José Oroz also did he's best with a good 20th place. In the general ranking he finished on an impressive 7th spot, he's clearly getting ready for the northern classics, where he showed potential last year.

Results stage 2
1. Jens Voigt Saxo Bank 2:30:22
2. Danny Pate Garmin +0:07
3. Romain Feillu Agritubel +0:09
...
15. Juan José Oroz +0:15
25. Ivan Velasco +0:15
42. Alan Pérez +1:11
77. Mikel Astarloza +6:24

Results Stage 3
1. Tony Martin Columbia 10:05
2. Bradley Wiggins Columbia +0:06
3. Frantisek Rabon Columbia +0:08
...
15. Mikel Astarloza +0:31
20. Juan José Oroz +0:36
42. Alan Perez +0:50
87. Ivan Velasco +1:29

General Ranking
1. Jens Voigt Saxo Bank 7:23:00
2. Frantisek Rabon Columbia +0:02
3. Danny Pate Garmin +0:09
...
7. Juan José Oroz +0:30
29. Ivan Velasco +1:23
36. Alan Perez +1:53
54. Mikel Astarloza +6:55

Sammy wins in Llodio!

Samuel Sánchez and Euskaltel delivered a nice piece of team work in this years Gran Premio de Llodio. After a third place of last year with Aitor Galdos, the aim was to do better than that. From the beginning there were a lot of attacks, but only a group of four managed to get away. Luckily in this group two guys from Euskaltel Egoi Martinez and Aitor Hernández were present so in the peloton the other guys could lay back a bit. When with 25 kilometres to go they were taken back, three other guys escaped. Ezequiel Mosquera, David de la Fuente and our Samuel Sánchez! They managed to stay away from the hunting mass and sprinted for the victory. There Samuel Sánchez outsprinted De la Fuente and took the second victory of 2009 for Euskaltel!! Yiihoooeeeee!!!

Results
1. Samuel Sanchez Euskaltel 4:03:58
2. David De la Fuente Fuji ST
3. Ezezquiel Mosquera +0:01
...
5. Aitor Galdos +0:21
12. Rubén Pérez +0:21
14. Mikel Nieve 0:21
17. Gorka Verdugo +0:25
32. Pablo Urtasun +1:20
39. Jorge Azanza +1:20
62. Iñaki Isasi +6:39
66. Egoi Martinez +6:39
68. Aitor Hernandez +6:39

Koldo 6th in first leg Criterium International

In France Euskaltel was present for the Criterium International. On the first day of the two day-three stages race, we got a stage where a sprint just couldn't be avoided. Euskaltel put out Koldo as their first man and they tried everything in their power to get him in front when the sprint started. Unfortunately Koldo couldn't finish off the great work and became 6th. Other bad news came from Javier Aramendia. He fell in the last kilometres and got an injury on his left ribcage. Today there will the queens stage and a short time trial.